


When You're Broken on the Ground

by PBandGelly



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Dream (mentioned) - Freeform, Dream Team SMP Spoilers, Found Family, Gen, Ghost Wilbur Soot, Implied/Referenced Attempted Suicide, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Post-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Sapnap (mentioned), Suicidal Thoughts, depressedinnit, exile arc, pogging through the pain, sleepy bois inc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27981861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PBandGelly/pseuds/PBandGelly
Summary: In which Wilbur worries about his brother.
Relationships: TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 8
Kudos: 249





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i'm going back to my fandom roots with this lol. i used to write fanfics about team crafted in 2013. not much has changed in 7 years, i just got gayer and better at writing. anyways i literally cant stop thinking about these people and i have finals to do oh well. enjoy this short thing i wrote at midnight last night while watching awesamdude. there'll be another chapter later once i actually write it.

Day 12 in Logsteadshire, and Tommy was finally asleep at a normal time. He was sleeping in Wilbur’s tent tonight, after venting to him about what had happened and showing a strange amount of vulnerability for once. Wilbur didn’t like to dwell on sad stuff, but he let Tommy talk because Wilbur could tell that Tommy felt better afterwards.

Wilbur sat on the ground, his back pressed up against the bed as if to protect his brother from any harm that may come their way. He could hear zombies groan and skeletons rattle outside the walls, but none came through the gap to attack them. Wilbur wasn’t tired, at least from lack of sleep. He was willing to stay up all night if it meant that Tommy would finally sleep.

Tommy’s phone started buzzing, startling the ghost. He reached for it, making sure not to disturb the sleeping teen, who had started to stir. He grabbed Tommy’s hand and started rubbing circles into it the way Phil used to do when they were kids. Wilbur hit the answer button. “Hello?”

“Tommy?” Phil’s voice rang through the speaker.

“No, Wil. Why are you calling so late?” Wilbur shifted his position.

“It’s like 10 PM dude. Tommy usually stays up pretty late. Is he asleep already?”

“Yeah, he hasn’t been sleeping lately.”

“Being out there has been getting to him, huh? How have you been?”

“I’ve been going back and forth between here and L’manburg, so I’ve been fine. I’m just really worried about Tommy.”

“Oh yeah? What’s been happening with him?”

Wilbur sighed, thinking about the past two weeks. “It started out fine. When we first got here, he was angry. I kept trying to cheer him up, but it wasn’t working. I thought he would’ve gone back to normal by now, but he’s just gotten sadder and sadder. Last week, Dream and Sapnap came over, and we went to the Nether. They were talking about the Christmas tree, and Tommy and I really wanted to see it, but Dream wouldn’t let Tommy through the portal. The three of us went through and left Tommy in the Nether. While I was taking a picture of the tree for Tommy, Dream went back through.” Wilbur took a breath. “Dream told me this later, but Tommy was staring at the lava below when Dream got back. Dream thought he was going to jump.”

He could hear Phil gasp on the other side. “Oh shit.”

“He’s on his last life too, Phil. I don’t want anything to happen to him. I’m trying my best, but it’s so difficult.” Wilbur paused, picking at the grass. “I wish you were here.”

“I know. I wish I could come to you guys too, but I think I’m needed here more. I’ll come and visit tomorrow. I have something to give to Tommy.”

“Okay, Dad. See you tomorrow.”

“See ya.” Phil hung up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Philza spends time with his teenage son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> techno may have denied the family dynamic but we're ignoring that  
> also i lied there's gonna be one more chapter :)

Phil came through the portal the next day while Tommy and Wilbur were on the beach. When Tommy turned around and saw his dad, his face lit up. Phil could see all the hurt on his face still, but he was genuinely happy to see Phil. Maybe he was just happy to see anyone at this point. Tommy practically tackled him, showing a strange amount of affection for the teenager.

Tommy was the easy kid growing up. He never needed attention from Phil, at least not as much as Wilbur and Techno. He always had Tubbo to go to for anything. Now that that’s gone, Tommy is desperate for anything. Phil’s heart broke at that realization.

“Hey Wil, do you know where Techno lives?” Phil still had Tommy in his arms. As much as he loved Wilbur, he wouldn’t be of much help in this situation. 

“Yes, of course I know where Technoblade lives!” Ghostbur was just as clueless as ever. Phil would have to deal with that later. One son at a time.

“Why don’t you go pay him a visit?”

Ghostbur ran off with an “Okay!”, happily bounding towards the snow biome. Phil sighed, knowing that one day he’ll remember all the shit he did when he was alive. Tommy let go and started walking towards the beach. Phil shot Techno a quick text alerting him of his visitor before following Tommy and sitting down next to him.

Neither of them said anything for a long time. The waves crashed against the sand. Phil looked at Tommy, noticing all the hurt on his face. A pit formed in his stomach. Tommy’s only a teenager, and yet he had been through so much. 

Phil decided to initiate the conversation, knowing that his son had a difficult time bringing up heavy topics. “You know, I called last night. You were asleep, though.” 

“Oh yeah? I didn’t see that I had any missed calls.” Phil noticed how tired Tommy sounded. There wasn’t the usual light tone that the teen spoke with.

“Wil- I mean, Ghostbur picked up for you. We talked for a bit.” Tommy nodded, still looking at the ocean. “He’s really worried about you.”

Tommy didn’t say anything. Whether he was thinking about what to say next or just taking everything in, Phil didn’t know.

“He told me you’ve been having trouble sleeping.” 

Tommy nodded slowly. “Everytime I close my eyes,” he sighed, “my brain starts thinking of shit.”

“Like what?”

“Everything.” Tommy didn’t elaborate, instead letting the silence settle between them before asking a question. “Why did you kill Wilbur, Phil?”

Phil’s heart stopped for a minute. How could he explain to Tommy about how Wilbur literally begged him to drive the sword through him? That Wilbur decided that after blowing up Manburg, he had nothing left to live for? “He asked me to do it. He decided that he didn’t want to live with the consequences of his actions.”

“And he left me alone in the process.” Tommy curled up and put his chin on his knees. “It’s better that he’s dead anyways. No one needs to know what happened back then.”

“Now why do you say that?” 

Tommy hugged his knees tighter. “Because it was fucked up. Not even Tubbo knows.” 

“Would you like to elaborate?”

“Wilbur changed a lot after we got exiled the first time. The only person that we told where Pogtopia was was Tubbo, and even then it was because he was spying for us. He slowly stopped trusting everyone else, even me.” He shivered. “When Schlatt announced the festival, Wilbur turned to me and asked if we were the bad guys. I told him no, because that’s what I thought at the time… He was too far gone at that point, and yet I kept trying to get him back.” He took a breath. “That night was one of the worst nights of my life. Dream came and gave Wilbur TNT. I threatened him with a crossbow to give me the TNT. Dream stepped in. In the end, I never got the TNT, and Wilbur would…” He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “I don’t know the word for it.”

Phil knew that Wilbur had said and done horrible things to Tommy specifically, but never knew the details. “What did he say to you, Tommy?”

“I remember specifically him telling me that I was scared; it was written all over my face. That I was scared of people thinking differently of me, and that I would never be president.”

He could tell that Tommy was starting to crack. The kid had never shown this much vulnerability to him, and he doubted that he even revealed this to Tubbo. “And you didn’t tell anyone this?”

Tommy shook his head. “Not even Tubbo. He was dealing with enough at the time; I didn’t want him to worry about me on top of that.” Tears were starting to form in his eyes. “Maybe that’s why I’ve been feeling so alone lately.” 

There was the opening. “Who’s visited so far?”

“Dream comes everyday. Ranboo comes a lot too. Sam visited on the first day but hasn’t been back. Bad and Sapnap only came for a day. Fundy too. Hbomb and Puffy came by while I wasn’t here and dropped stuff off.” Tommy paused, thinking harder. “Techno also came the first day, but he just made fun of me.”

“So, you’ve seen someone at least everyday. It doesn’t make sense why you feel lonely?”

Tommy sighed. “You wouldn’t understand.” He looked away.

“I’m definitely not going to understand if you don’t tell me, dude.”

“Has Tubbo been busy?” Tommy deflected.

“I haven’t seen him, so I assume so. He is the president, after all.” Tubbo was always running between his and Sam’s guardian farm and L’manburg doing whatever he did. While he did have moments to himself, they were rare and short. Phil suspected that he was doing it on purpose but hasn’t had a chance to talk to him.

“So that’s why he hasn’t visited…”

Phil took a minute to look at Tommy,  _ really _ look at him. His eyes, normally a light blue, were darker than normal. Dark circles were forming under his eyes as well. He looked skinnier, which Phil didn’t think was possible. He also wasn’t moving around as much as he usually did; the kid was always fidgeting, but now he was completely still. Simply put, he looked absolutely exhausted. “This isn’t about being lonely, is it? You just miss Tubbo.”

Tommy nodded. “I thought I’d be fine, that it’d be the same as last time…” His voice cracked at the end.

Phil put his arm around his youngest. “Tommy, it’s okay to cry.”

And that’s exactly what Tommy did. All the bullshit that had happened the past month came flooding out. Phil rubbed Tommy’s arm soothingly, letting it happen. He knew Tommy needed this more than anything right now. 

It was a while before Tommy was able to form comprehensible words again. “Phil why do bad things always happen to me?”

Phil took a long time to think about what exactly has happened to Tommy recently. He had some very valuable possessions stolen from him and was engaged in a war because of it. He started a country that immediately went to war for independence. In that war, he was betrayed and killed, engaged in a duel and killed again, and lost his two most prized items. He lost two out of his three lives within a month of each other. He was made vice president of said country. He lost the next election and was exiled with no warning. He was emotionally abused by his older brother. He watched his best friend die and wasn’t able to stop it. He was engaged in another war and watched the country he built get blown up. Both of his brothers betrayed him. He was engaged in a very long and torturing waiting period where he did not know what was going to happen to him. And then he was exiled again, this time by his best friend. No wonder the kid wanted to jump into the lava.

“I don’t know Tommy. I don’t know.” Phil wanted nothing more than to go back to when he was little, and Phil could tell him that everything was going to be okay. He wasn’t sure if Tommy would believe it now. “I’m sure something good is coming soon.”

“Yeah, but everything good that happens is just something bad in disguise. I don’t know what I did to deserve this.” Tommy wiped the tears from his eyes. It reminded Phil of when him and Techno used to fight when they were younger.

Phil didn’t have an answer for him. He just continued comforting his kid. Tommy got quiet after that, eventually falling asleep. Poor kid could probably sleep for a week.

Phil sighed. “Oh Tommy. What have you gotten yourself into?”


End file.
